The Obama effect

So you would had to have been living under an avalanche today to have missed the Obama inauguration. My husband actually got up to see it live. I do not do 3.30am. Not since baby-feeding days have I seen the clock tick over to such rude numbers. Also I knew it would be replayed ALL morning and thought it might be nice for the kids to see some of it. Even though they couldn't really comprehend it — my son asked why America needed a new President? Hmmm, I resisted bagging Bush and simply explained that people voted for someone to run their country every four years. And he won, he asked. Yep. He said he looked like a nice man. And wanted to know the temperature in Washington. My daughter said she had very "importment" work to do and could I help her write her name.
I feel blessed to have witnessed an historic moment. I really didn't think I would get to see America vote in a black man as their president. It will definitely be one of those "where were you when..." moments.
There's no doubt Obama is a fantastic orator. Why don't we ever get that kind of passion or inspiration from Australian politicians? K-Rudd just doesn't cut it for me.
I thought it was a perfectly rounded speech — spanning history, acknowledging the enormity of current problems, identifying the hard work that is needed to move forward, outlining a plan to rebuild America and calling on all to find their part in the purpose. It rang true to his "new hope" value that pulled in the voters and he delivered the backbone to his "yes we can" catch cry.
It's amazing how one man is now holding the hopes of THE WORLD in his hands. As a mum we can think we know how to run a household or two but this guy has just moved into a new place which the previous tenants totally trashed. There's a lot of cleaning up to do and a lot expected of the new president. Today was an uplifting and hopeful start to a new America. And it holds a lot of hope for other nations, for as much as some might not like it we follow in the footsteps of the US and rely on them to pave the way forward for us.
My favourite lines:
"...we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."
"The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history..."
"It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
and of course the closing words:
"...with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."
What do you think? What meaning did you get from the day?